Over 50 million persons each year experience an accidental injury. Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) comprise perhaps the largest portion of those injuries, and are one distinctive class of events that may be defined as a traumatic stressor. There is ample evidence that adult survivors of MVAs experience a diverse array of post-trauma symptoms, including post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other Axis I disorders, and increased physiological arousal. In comparison, there has been a notable lack of empirical investigation of the effects of MVAs on child survivors. The development of adequate assessment procedures is needed to document the behavioral and psychological effects on child survivors of MVAs. The proposed study will involve the use of psychometric instruments (to assess child, parent, and family functioning), psychophysiological measurement (during neural, school-related stressor, and MVA-related stressor vignettes), and behavioral observation to examine the effects of child involvement in MVAs. A total of 90 children will participate in the multi-method assessment, and will be assigned to one of three subject groups, based on history of exposure to MVAs (none versus one or more) and psychometric test results (no distress versus measurable distress or behavioral disturbance): (a) Non-MVA. (b) MVA/Nondistressed, and (c) NVA/Distressed. Data will e analyze via correlational, multi variate analysis of variance, and multiple regression procedures. There are three specific aims of the proposed project. First, is the development of reliable assessment procedures to study the behavioral, psychological, and physiological effects of MVA involvement on children. There are few well established measures specifically addressing the effects of trauma on children. Second, is the determination of the validity of such assessments; and the relations between event characteristics, personal and family history (i.e., mediating and moderating variables), and clinical outcome. The third aim is to develop a brief screening questionnaire that may assist in the identification of children at-risk for behavioral and psychological problems following involvement in an MVA. This aspect has, perhaps, the broadest implications for child development and health, given the potentially deleterious effects of trauma on typical developmental progression (e.g., progress in school, social development, future psychopathology).